Chapter 581: Wang Ruyan Forms a Core

Peach Mountain, in the Demon-Subduing Nation.

Inside a secret chamber, Wang Qingshan sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, hundreds of azure flying swords hovering around him. As he inhaled and exhaled, the hundreds of azure flying swords simultaneously trembled, as if connected to him by some unseen force.

After a while, Wang Qingshan opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them. The hundreds of azure flying swords emitted a series of crisp hums, then merged into a single, shimmering azure flying sword that glowed brightly with immense spiritual energy.

"Seven years in seclusion, and I've finally overcome the bottleneck, reaching Foundation Establishment Layer Seven." Wang Qingshan exhaled slowly, muttering to himself with undisguised joy.

Profound-grade and Yellow-grade cultivation techniques were relatively simple to practice, but they came with numerous bottlenecks. He had been stuck at Foundation Establishment Layer Six for over twenty years, but now he had finally broken through to Layer Seven.

With a flick of his hand, the azure flying sword in front of him vanished, and he rose to walk out.

He resided in an azure pavilion, its entrance flanked by a large grove of azure spirit bamboos. A gentle breeze rustled through their leaves, creating a soft whispering sound.

Wang Qingshan took out a communication disk and imbued it with a magical incantation. Half an incense stick's time passed, but the communication disk remained silent. He frowned slightly, muttering to himself, "Could he be in seclusion?"

He changed his incantation, and Wang Qiuling's voice emanated from the communication disk: "Seventh Uncle, you've emerged from seclusion?"

"Yes. Where is your Twelfth Uncle? Is he in seclusion, or out on a mission?" His 'Twelfth Uncle' was, of course, Wang Qingjun.

"Twelfth Uncle and Tenth Aunt left a while ago to return to the clan with a group of young children who possess spiritual roots. Qiu Ming and I are temporarily managing the affairs of Peach Mountain. Do you have any instructions, Seventh Uncle?"

Wang Qingshan pondered for a moment, then replied, "You and Qiu Ming come to my residence. Tell me about the situation at Peach Mountain and Azure Lotus Mountain Villa over the past few years."

"Yes, Seventh Uncle, we'll be right there."

Putting away the communication disk, Wang Qingshan gazed into the distance, muttering to himself, "So many years have passed. I wonder if Ninth Aunt has ascended to the Core Formation stage yet." He had been stationed at Peach Mountain for over a decade. When the war between humans and demons concluded, Wang Ruyan was already at Foundation Establishment Layer Eight. After so many years, she must have reached Foundation Establishment Layer Nine, and perhaps even entered the Core Formation stage.

In the Wei State, an azure streak of light rapidly cut across the sky. The azure light was, in fact, a massive azure ship, over thirty zhang long. A hundred cultivators stood upon it, their robes emblazoned with an azure lotus pattern.

Wang Qingjun stood at the bow of the giant ship, a faint smile on his face. He had already reached Foundation Establishment Layer Six and was currently in charge of escorting a batch of cultivation resources and several young clan members back to Azure Lotus Mountain Villa.

Over the years, the Wang family had extensively intermarried with other cultivating families. Wang Qingjun himself had one wife and two concubines. Children without spiritual roots were sent to the mortal world after the age of five, while those with spiritual roots were sent back to Azure Lotus Mountain Villa to be nurtured by the family, fostering a stronger sense of belonging to the clan.

"Father, haven't we reached Azure Lotus Mountain Villa yet?" A five or six-year-old boy in an azure robe tugged at Wang Qingjun's sleeve, asking curiously.

Wang Qingjun patted the boy's head and smiled. "Almost. You'll see your older brothers and sisters soon."

Wang Qingjun now had two sons and one daughter. His eldest son and second daughter were born to his main wife, but their aptitude was poor, both possessing Four Spiritual Roots. His third son, Wang Qiuyu, born to his concubine, was slightly better, having Three Spiritual Roots.

"Older brothers and sisters!" Wang Qiuyu's eyes widened, a mix of curiosity and timidity in his gaze. He had heard his father, Wang Qingjun, speak highly of Azure Lotus Mountain Villa, but he had lived on Peach Mountain until now and had never returned to the Villa.

After a tea's time, more than a dozen streaks of red light appeared ahead. These turned out to be enormous red giant eagles, each carrying a cultivator on its back. The cultivators wore broad smiles.

"Welcome home, Twelfth Uncle! It looks like quite a harvest this time! You've brought back many clan members too."

Wang Qingjun nodded, then waved his hand. "Continue your patrols and perform your duties."

"Understood, Twelfth Uncle." The patrolling cultivators departed, and the azure giant ship swiftly flew towards Azure Lotus Mountain Villa.

A short while later, the azure giant ship halted. Below them lay a vast expanse of yellow mist, obscuring the view of what lay within. Wang Qingjun took out a square token inscribed with an azure lotus pattern. After he infused spiritual power into the token, the azure lotus immediately brightened, spinning as if alive. An azure light shot out from it and disappeared into the yellow mist.

The yellow mist churned and rolled, then vanished, revealing a lush, verdant peak before them. From halfway up the mountain, a large collection of buildings could be seen: courtyards and pavilions of various styles. Many exotic flowers and rare herbs grew on the mountain. As far as the eye could see, the mountain was green and lush, truly resembling a blessed land for immortals.

Several courtyards were enveloped in a vast expanse of white mist, making it impossible to discern their contents. Hundreds of cultivators moved in and out of these buildings, appearing quite busy.

Wang Qiuyu's eyes widened as he curiously surveyed the "home" Wang Qingjun had spoken of.

"Is this Azure Lotus Mountain Villa? It's so big, and the spiritual energy is so abundant!"

"My parents always said Azure Lotus Mountain Villa was wonderful, but I never imagined it would be this massive."

"I'll be living here from now on. How wonderful!" The young children on the azure flying ship gazed curiously at Azure Lotus Mountain Villa below, chattering excitedly.

Wang Qingjun controlled the azure flying ship, slowly descending towards the ground. Just then, the clear, cloudless sky abruptly became overcast with dark clouds, and fierce winds began to howl. A vast expanse of shimmering light suddenly appeared above Azure Lotus Mountain. Spiritual energy from dozens of miles around seemed to be guided, surging towards Azure Lotus Mountain Villa and forming a massive vortex.

The change in spiritual energy caught the attention of the Wang family cultivators. Large numbers of clan members rushed out of their residences, pointing at the vortex high in the sky. Currently, Wang Changsheng was the only Core Formation cultivator in the Wang family. Moreover, Wang Changsheng had achieved his Core Formation breakthrough at the Grand Unity Immortal Sect, so no one here knew what this particular phenomenon signified.

Just then, Wang Changyue flew into the air and loudly declared, "Sister-in-law is attempting to break through to the Core Formation stage! All clan members, withdraw from Azure Lotus Mountain Villa to avoid being affected by the lightning tribulation."

Wang Qingkai rushed out of his residence. He had long known that Wang Ruyan was attempting her Core Formation breakthrough, so he immediately directed the clan members to evacuate Azure Lotus Mountain Villa to prevent them from being affected by the lightning tribulation. Most importantly, he wanted to ensure they didn't disturb Wang Ruyan's breakthrough.

As soon as the Core Formation phenomenon appeared, Wang Changsheng detected it and rushed out of his residence. Gazing at the vortex high above, his eyes were filled with worry. He dared not remain near the lightning tribulation, lest he attract a more powerful one. Wang Changsheng and his family stood at a distance, their faces etched with concern. They all hoped Wang Ruyan would successfully advance to the Core Formation stage, but no one could guarantee her success.

The massive vortex above Azure Lotus Mountain Villa expanded to several miles in size, glittering with spiritual light, exceptionally dazzling.